After blessing Suteekshn Jee, Raam went to Agastya Muni for his Darshan. Muni welcomed them and gave them two bows, two swords, two inexhaustible quivers. Then he guided them to live in Panchvatee in Dandak Van for some time to clear Gautam Rishi's Shaap.

Raam headed towards Panchvatee. On the way He met Jataayu. First He thought him a Raakshas but later when he introduced himself as a friend of Dashrath, Raam showed him his due respect. He offered that if Raam was going to stay in Panchvatee, he will guard their Kutee in their absence. So all came to Panchvatee. Lakshman built a beautiful hut. He went to Godaavaree to bring water and flowers for Grih Pravesh and they started living in it.

Now there was the king of Lankaa - Raavan who had a sister whose name was Shoorpankhaa. She lived in Dandak Van along with her brothers Khar and Dooshan. One day, wandering in the Van, she happened to come to Panchvatee and saw both princes along with a very beautiful woman. She got attracted to them and came there and proposed to Raam.

Raam said - "I am already married, and she is my wife. You may try my younger brother who is still unmarried." When she proposed to Lakshman, Lakshman said - "I am His servant. You will not be happy with a servant, because you yourself look like a princess, so better try your luck with my elder brother. He will keep you happier." On approaching Raam again, Raam again said - "I am already married." At this thinking Seetaa as the hurdle in their marriage she ran towards Her to eat Her. The then Lakshman cut her nose and ears. Shoorpankhaa ran away from where she came.

Crying she went to Khar and Dooshan and told the whole story. Khar didn't believe Shoorpankhaa as she herself was very powerful, but then he had to believe her seeing her without nose and ears. So he sent 14 Raakshas to kill Raam but they were all killed. Then he came with his 14,000 Raakshas army to kill both brothers. When Raam heard the sound of the army, He asked Lakshman to take Seetaa in a cave where She can be safe. Raam killed everybody - Khar, Dooshan, Trishiraa and their 14,000 army in about an hour.

Now Shoorpankhaa was very angry. She went to Raavan and said to him many bad words. Raavan thought whole night as who was this, who had come here and killed my brothers who were more or less like me. He had never heard about any human being who would be like this, then? Maybe Bhagvaan has taken Avataar to kill me. And if it is so there cannot be any other better opportunity to fight with Him and get Mukti; and if He is not Bhagvaan then I will kill him soon.

My Note
This version is of Maanas that Shoorpankhaa went to Raavan and abuse him for his bad system. Raamaayan says that Raavan had a secret agent there to get its news. So as this happened, that Raakshas immediately went to Lankaa and told everything to Raavan. Thus Raavan came to know about this through his secret agent, not through Shoorpankhaa.

Shoorpankhaa had already told him that they had a very beautiful woman also, so he thought to abduct Her. He went to Maareech (his life was spared at Vishwaamitra's Yagya), and asked his help in this. Maareech tried his best to convince Raavan not to take this path as He was not an ordinary human being. But Raavan had already made up his mind so he did not move from his intentions. He said - "If you obey me, you might live, but if you don't, your death is certain." Maareech thought, "It is better to die with Raam's arrow than Raavan's", so he got ready.

Raavan brought him to Panchvatee and dropped him there. According to the plan, he changed himself into a golden deer and start wandering around Seetaa's Kutee. Seetaa saw this strange deer who was so enchanting that She could not resist Herself and requested Raam to bring him alive or dead. Lakshman recognized him as Maareech and tried to stop Raam to go after him, but Raam followed him to catch him alive or dead.

My Note
In Raamaayan the deer is not all golden but Lakshman recognizes it as Maareech Raakshas. And in Maanas the the deer is all golden but Lakshman does not recognize the golden Mrig as Maareech Raakshas.

The deer took Raam very far from the Kutee, and when Raam shot His arrow at the deer, the deer cried in Raam's voice - "Haa Seetey, Haa Lakshman" in a very pathetic voice of Raam. As he cried this, Raam thought that everything is going to be upset now. Seetaa and Lakshman will worry for me.

When Seetaa heard these words, She asked Lakshman to go to help His elder brother as He was in danger. Lakshman told many times that He was the Swaamee of the Trilok, there can never be any danger for Him but She didn't listen to Him, rather She told some heart-pierced words to Him. Lakshman had to leave Seetaa alone under the protection of directions, forest, trees etc and go in search of Raam.

My Note
Here Maanas doesn't say anything else than this, but Raamaayan says that Lakshman drew a line (see Lakshman's Line for its explanation)  around the Kutee (hut) and asked Seetaa not to cross it for Her safety and security until they are home. But as Lakshman came home, He understood that Seetaa must have crossed the line, otherwise She couldn't have gone anywhere.

While in Maanas when Lakshman comes back, he does ask all trees, rivers, mountains, creepers, sky etc "Where is Seetaa? I left Her here under your care." But nobody answers anything. Why? Because all were afraid of Raavan.

As Seetaa was left alone, Raavan came in disguise of a Muni and abducted Her forcefully from the Kutee. He took Her in his chariot. On the way Jataayu saw him taking Seetaa, he fought bravely to him to release Seetaa. He broke his chariot. But Raavan cut his wings and he fell down. He could not fight any more. Raavan took Seetaa away to Lankaa through skyway.

Raam came back to His Kutee very quickly expecting that He wouldn't find Seetaa there. He met Lakshman coming to Him in the way. Now both returned to their Kutee only not to find Seetaa in the Kutee. When they started looking around for Her, they found Jataayu lying wounded and near death. Jataayu told them about Seetaa and Raavan and died. Raam did his last rites with His own hands and wept for him.